Rating: 
Summary: Can't Wait To Read Her New One!!! :-)
Review: I had actually bought "Good In Bed" over a year ago, upon its hardcover release; I saw that several womens' magazines dubbed it a worthwhile read, and I had also been curious about it even before that, when I spied it in a favorite bookstore. I am the type of person who will purchase a book I really want to read, but I don't always get to it when I am able (plus, my book collection tends to stack up quickly). That aside, I finally picked up this excellent novel a week ago (at the insistence of a friend I had mentioned it to last year-she had also read it recently herself)....I hate to sound like a broken record, but I, too, could relate to some of the things that Cannie dealt with on a daily basis (mainly, the struggle with a not so perfect body and how the rest of society sees you). There were sad passages, but better still, so many more funny ones...true, there were times that I was even annoyed with her whining, and particularly her refusal to see that her 3 year relationship with her loser ex-boyfriend had indeed come to pass. But who among us hasn't felt hopeful, in spite of this type of situation? Cannie is a smart, funny, successful woman and an enjoyable heroine who is worth rooting for. Her happiness after all she goes through seems all that more bittersweet and satisfying. I loved this book, could not put it down-Jennifer Weiner is an incredibly gifted author who makes you genuinely care about her characters....I can't wait to read her latest release (which I plan on picking up very soon), "In Her Shoes". There has been some rumor on the author's website that this may be turned into a film in the future; I just hope that they can do it justice!! One other book I would like to recommend is "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb-it too features a large woman as the heroine, although it is a bit sadder (but just as funny, in some parts) as "Bed". Definetly another of the best books I have read in a long time; don't pass it up!!
Rating: 
Summary: Not even worthwhile as brain candy
Review: This book was one of the worst books I have ever read! Because of all the hype about it by reviewers from women's magazines, I foolishly paid for and read a full-priced book that was half-baked. The plot was RIDICULOUS and the main character was as shallow as the men she mocks. She whines and complains about herself and her situation and comes off more as pathetic than sympathetic. Hopefully, larger sized women don't read this book thinking it's a some kind of a "girl power" book when all the character succeeds in is coming off as a loser. Please tell me that an author will come along one day and actually write a book about a confident woman who happens to be larger (and not about a larger woman who one day happens to be confident).
Rating:
Summary: I Can SO Relate!
Review: This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It was our September selection for my book club, and something that I've had on my "Wish List" for quite a while now. I related to the main character, Cannie Shapiro, on so many levels that it almost felt like I was reading a story of my own life. She is dealing with confusion over a relationship, abandonment issues brought on by her father, and body image and weight issues. I have been there...and continue to be there. Jennifer Weiner's use of humor throughout the book helped the reader to see Cannie as a fun-loving girl...even though she struggled with her weight. She was not depicted as a girl who felt sorry for herself in any way. For anyone who has dieted...or tried to diet...this book will make you laugh. It's so much more than a comical story about dieting and being fat, though. There is a wonderful story and Cannie is such a lovable character. I would recommend this book to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely in LOVE!
Review: I am absolutely in love with this book! I couldn't put it down! Jennifer Weiner hits the nail on the head with Cannie's commentary on her life as a larger woman. I could feel how humiliated and ashamed she felt about not only her ex's expose in a national magazine, but also about her own painful past. Just when I thought nothing more could happen to this woman, good things begin. What a delightful mixture of reality and escape. Thank you, Jennifer!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Much more than expected...
Review: I was totally floored by Good in Bed! I was expecting a light, fluffy, chick-lit type of read (this assumption made by the title and fun, frivilous-looking cover). However, once I started reading, I realized this story is much more than that. There is depth and meaning to this book, and I have to say that I liked it better because of it. Good in Bed tells the story of 28-year-old Cannie Shapiro, whose claim to fame comes from her ex-boyfriend's tell-all article in Moxie magazine about what it was like for him to love a larger woman. Cannie is furious, despite the fact that Bruce's article was quite accepting and complimentary of Cannie's plus-size body. Once the dust settles, Cannie realizes Bruce did not mean her any harm and sets out to make things right. But that is only the beginning of the story... What follows is a journey that deals with love, loss, her past, her future, and her acceptance with the things she cannot change. Jennifer Weiner has debuted with an amazing story -- one of the better first novels I've read in awhile. The writing is crisp and clear, the storytelling is honest and at times, heartwarming. The only thing that was hard to grasp is Cannie's blossoming friendship with someone famous -- I mean, how often does *that* really happen?! I highly recommend this novel, especially for those who are tired of the formulaic stories of the single city girl looking for love. This one has much more meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected...
Review: I haven't read a novel that I enjoyed for quite some time. I felt that this was a great book for a "normal" person like me. Even though I am not a "larger" woman, I still felt that I could relate to the character in other ways that society may not deem me to be "attractive". I felt that this book was REAL and that's what I liked most about it...and the fact that the ending was a happy one!
Rating: 
Summary: ok, except for the main character
Review: It's hard to like a book when you dislike the main character so much! Cannie, the main character, comes across as incredibly full of herself in regard to how witty and intelligent she thinks she is, even though she appears to have issues about her intelligence. Overall not a bad read, but the end seemed to rush into a happy ending all of a sudden, and not a believable one.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed every page - a nice light quick read
Review: On vacation in Hawaii I beach read a lot. I had just finished "A Girl Named Zippy" and "She's Come Undone" and I saw my sister reading "Good In Bed" I dismissed it based on the cover thinking it was a trashy romance novel. That is until she kept laughing out loud every few minutes as she read. She brought the book to dinner, in to the pool EVERYWHERE, she didn't put it down. Once she finished it I stopped reading "White Oleander (which is a pretty heavy read) and dove into it. It was so good, so funny, I loved the charcter even though we have nothing in common that I found myself dragging it to the pool, breakfast, the bathroom, a funny read, nice and light. I give it an A+.
Rating:
Summary: What a treat!
Review: Jennifer Weiner's first novel, GOOD IN BED, is riveting. For a change from the dozens of whiney single-girl books out there, GOOD IN BED has an interesting plot. The writing itself is excellent, and the author is full of insights as to the lifestyles of bright young women in our modern world. Cannie, the heroine, is endearing and even admirable. Her issues with weight and her casual attitude towards sex may not appeal to every reader, however. There also is a fairytale quality to the whole book, with unlikely but delightful adventures constantly falling upon Cannie. Yet, at the end, that's what this plot is, a modern-day fairytale. GOOD IN BED is a book that is impossible to put down; I finished it in one reading.
Rating: 
Summary: it's ok; beware, spoilers
Review: I've read many books in this genre, and this one is a decent addition. But I just finished it, and there are some plot points I can't get over because they just don't make sense. Cannie makes countless references to her lack of self confidence because of her size, but she also makes several references to her many boyfriends and her sexual experience - which makes her "good in bed." She claims that her size 16 body causes her to feel somehow less than, but she still manages to have affairs with many men, including a teacher/professor? There is also no way that a size 16 woman could share clothes with the very petite Maxi. An observant editor could have fixed this problem simply by having the author add a single shopping trip to the Lane Bryant in L.A. (if they even have Lane Bryant out there). Finally, Cannie makes herself feel better about Bruce having the column in Moxie by referring to the magazine as "third rate" - but then she ends up taking Bruce's place and writing a column for Moxie herself. Several of the characters are underdeveloped - Samantha and Cannie's brother (see, I can't even remember his name)are underwritten. But I have to say I loved Dr. K.
|
